Electric sign.



H. J. WALSER.

` ELECTRIC SIGN.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 29, 1906.

' Patented 0615.211908.

2 SHEETS- SHEET 2.

.I HENRYJ. WALSER, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

ELECTRIC SIGN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 27, 1908.

Application 4tiled Hay 29, 1906. Serial No. 319,323.

To all whom it may concern: v 13e it known that I, HENRY J. WALSER, a` citizen of Vthe United States, residing at4 A Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented new and useful Improvements in Electric Signs, of which the following is a specification.4

This invention is anelectrical advertising vsign or device, consisting of a panel on which incandescent lamps or the li e may be ary ran ed to form' letters or numerals.

T e object of the invention is to produce an improved'device of thekind, characterized by simplicity and an easy and speedy manner or method of changing the lamps to .vary the letters or numbers.

A further object of the invention is to provide improved conducting means for supplying the current to the lamps in Whatever positlon they are placed. All the lamp sockets are individually .adjustable or changeable, and can beput on or taken oil without taking the panel apart and without placing or removing any bolts.

A.' further object of the invention is to roduce a better insulation between the con( uctors by which the current is supplied to the lamps.

Speaking generally, the invention is em.

bodied in a panel consisting ot a frame and having therein a slate base plate upon which the Contact plates are supported, said, contact ,platesA consisting of a front plate on the face of the slate, connected to one leading-in Wire, and a back plate behind the slate and spaced therefrom, and connected to the other leading-in wire. Lamp sockets are provided having one contact against the front late and a screw conducting connection wlth the rear plate. The holes in which the sockets are placed are so arranged that any desired letter may be formed and may be otherwise arranged for numerals or other de- `vices. y

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front view of the panel with some' of the sockets in place and part of the letterv face plate broken away. Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. Sis a back view with the sheet iron back removed.. Fi 4 is a horizontal section on the line 4 4 of ig. 1.

Referring specifically to the drawings, 1 indicates a wooden or iron frame which may be made of any desired size and shape, to Vhold and inclose the other parts of the panel.

Within this frame is a slate -plate 2 upon which the brass contact plates are supported. The front plate is indicated at 4, and lies against the face of theslate where it is fastened by screws 15.

The back brass `plate 14 is spaced behind the slate, being supported in position byl bolts 17 and 18 which are bushed with iiber sleeves 17a to maintain the back plate at the desired space. The bolt 18 serves also as the conductor to carry one side of the circuit to the back plate 14.. The circuit enters through a binding\post 10 and includesin succession a connecting wire 8, the bolt 18, the plate 14, the lamps, the plate 4, bolt 7, wire 7f, bolt 7d, clip 7, fuse 7, clip 7a, Wire 8a, and the binding post 10a. A galvanized iron plate 13 covers the back of the panel, and t e front of the panel is covered by a. movable-letter plate 5, which slides on land off upon strips 9 fixed to the top and bottom of the frame 1. The face late 5 has therein holes corresponding to the etter desired.

The front and back contact plates 4 and 14, and the slate 2, are provided with registering holes having a well-known arrangement permitting various letters or numbers to be-produced by proper grouping of the lamps. The socket-s forattaching the lamps are indicated at 3. Each has a ,'central threaded stem 6 which fits through the hole in the slate and screws' into one of the threaded holes 20 in the back plate 14. The holes 22 in the front plate 4 are of greater size, so that contact with said threaded stem is avoided, -but connection is made with said front plate by means of a ring or rim 21 at the base of the socket, which contacts with said plate around the edge of the hole 22.'

It will be seen that one side of the circuit is connected to the plate 14 and the other side with the plate 4 and that these lates are insulated from each other by the s ate angl lso by the space behind the slate. The sob ets desired can be, readily attached or detached by imply screwing the same in thepanel,

figures or other devices, according to the na` ture of the sign desired. The particular arrangement of the connection may also be .Y varied Without departing from the scope of l inserted in any of said holes and having conthe following claim.

I claim: In 4an electric display system, a panel hav- 5 ing an insulating plate extending across the same, a front conducting plate mounted on the face of said insulating plate, a rear conducting plate supported upon and spaced from the back of the insulating plate, said 10 conducting yplates being connected to opposite sides of the circuit, all of said lates having a monogram of registering ho es, and interchangeable lamp sockets adapted to be tact rims which rest upon the front plate and 15 stems Which extend through the holes in the insulating plate and are screwed into the holes in the rear conducting late.

In testimony whereof I ave signed my name to this specification in the presence of 20 two subscribing Witnesses.

HENRY J. WALSER.

Witnesses:

JOHN A. BOMMHARDT, SHIRLEY J. BOMMHARDT. 

